Improvement in horse-rakes



w. H. JOHNSON.

Horse Rake.

Patented Oct. 10, 1865.

W. W qwnmrM Z 8 Ugh/P hm? W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,363, dated October 10, 1865.

To all whom iii-may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. JOHNSON,

of Northborough, in the county of Worcesterand State of lllassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvementiu Horse-Rakes; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following speecification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of Which Figure 1 is a top View, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, of a horserake provided with my invention, the latter figure having its plane ofsection going through the arm K, hereinafter described.

In such drawings, the rake head or bar from hich the teeth a a a, 850., are projected is ex hibited at A, it being connected to the axle B by hinges, as shown at I) Z). The thills O proceed from the axle, and are further connected by a crossbar, 0, arranged in advance of the axle. To this crossbar are hinged two inclined bars, A B, which serve to support the drivers seat 1). Each of the said bars A B is connected by a link, 0 or cl, with a forked arm, E or F, projecting from the rake-head in manner as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, the link beingjointed both to its bar and the arm. Furthermore, the said arm has a series-of holes, d d, made through it for reception of the pin of its joint. The pin of thejoint ot' the arm E goes through anotherconnecting-link,M, which is jointed to a lever, N, whose fulcrum, 6, projects from the outer side of the bar 13. Besides the arms E F ,there are two otherfurcated arms, H and K, extending from the rake-head A, they being disposed near to and at a right angle with each other. These arms are connected to two treadles, J M, by bars L N jointed to each arm and treadle, and such treadles are jointed to thetop of a post, G, extending upward from the cross-bar c. There is a book, 0,

applied to the outer side of the seat-bar B, and there is also a staple, P, projected from the link 0 and for reception of the hook, each hook and staple being for the purpose of holding the rake-head in its highest position.

By having the seat D connected with the rakehead in manner as described, I am enabled to throw the weight of the driver, or more or less thereof, on the rake-head in order to keep the rake-teeth firmly in contact with the ground while the rake may be in use.

By means of the treadle M and the lever N the driver can effect the elevation of the rakehead into its highest position, and when in such position he, by means of his left foot on the treadle J, can raise the arm H so as to force the rakehead backward suffioiently to enable the gravitating power of the rake-head to come into action in a manner to depress the rakehead to the ground.

I claim- 1. The combination and arrangement of the treadles J M, the arms H K, and their connecting links L N with the rake-head, the thills, and the mechanism as described, for connecting the seat with the thills and the rake-head, and for enabling the weight of the driver to be employed t'or pressing the rake downward, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the lever N and its link M with the above-described mechanism for so connecting the seat with the rake-head and the latter with the thills as to enable the rake-head to be raised or depressed and receive the weight of the driver, in manner substantially as hereinbefore explained.

W. H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses WARREN T. BUSH, JOHN F. J ouNsoN. 

